Sydney, Nov. 25 : Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has admitted that his cricketing career is on the line after he suffered three consecutive failures to start the Test series against South Africa.

Ponting said he was a "realist" and won''t see out the rest of the summer, let alone make it to next year''s Ashes, unless he can turn things around, and gets another chance to prove himself in the third test in Perth.

The 37-year-old said he is yet to have a conversation with national selectors about where he stands, but anticipates that chat won''t be very far away after scoring nought, four and 16 in the first two tests.

"I''m a realist. I live in the real world and I know that if I''m not getting runs there''s no chance at all (of playing the Ashes)," Stuff. co. nz quoted Ponting, as saying.

"I might not make the summer out so (if that happens) I definitely won''t be in England. But we''ll wait and see what happens at the end of the game. I''ve got no illusions or disillusions about where I''m at or where my cricket''s at,” he added.

According to the report, Ponting said he''s being too tentative with his batting at the moment and his disappointment was heightened by the strong Sheffield Shield form he carried into the summer.

The Tasmanian again indicated he will play until he''s tapped on the shoulder, rather than step aside himself.

“If I score runs I''ll get myself selected. If I don''t then I leave the door open for someone else to come in my spot. That''s the way it sits at the moment so we''ll wait and see what happens at the end of the game,” he said. (ANI)